Moxie's West Georgia

It has been awhile since I've last been to Moxie's.  I remember it expanded to several locations in the GVRD and then it closed a few locations.  Now it is back with a brand new spot at 180 West Georgia in Downtown.  If this sounds and looks familiar to you, it can be found within the Sandman Inn.  I was offered a $150.00 gift card to try the brand new digs out and also a revamped menu (well, at least since the last time I went).  I ended up bringing the fam with me and went far beyond the $150.00.  So I didn't hold back and topped it up with my own coin.  Loved this new location as it is modern and has some pretty comfy booth seating.  I imagine this would be great before a Canucks game since it is a block away from Rogers Arena.

Back to our dinner, we started with one each of the Salt & Pepper Wings and the Hot Wings.  Both were served with celery sticks and ranch dressing.  These wings were quite large and meaty.  When combined with a perfect fry job, the meat remained juicy and tender.  On the outside, there was a light batter that made things crispy with fairly rendered skin.  As for the hot wings, they were not crispy due to being tossed with sauce.  It was mildly spicy with some tanginess.

Onto the Tiny Tuna Tacos, they were made with wonton shells encasing diced ahi tuna (topped with furikake) and guacamole.  These actually reminded me of the ones I had at Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto.  So light and crispy, the wonton shells did not interfere with the delicate, yet meaty tuna.  The guac underneath added some creaminess and a binding agent to keep the tuna from falling out.  That sesame soy sauce was classic Asian with a surprising kick at the end.  The squeeze from the lime wedge added some needed acidity too.  One thing I would like to see is that they plate these in a stainless steel taco holder stand so that they do not get wet from contact with the lime wedges.

Something similar, yet different was the Tuna Stack consisting of diced ahi tuna atop fresh mango, avocado and seasoned sushi rice.  It sat in a soy ginger glaze and was drizzled with spicy mayo.  Loved the addition of furikake prawn crackers as they were super light and crunchy.  As you can clearly see, the stack was made with the freshest ingredients.  Colours and textures were on point.  Loved the sweetness from the mango as well as the sweet soy that had a gingery kick.

Off to our mains, Viv opted for the Chiptole Mango Chicken with atop grilled asparagus and ancient grains.  This was finished with avocado and pico de gallo.  She found this quite filling since it sported 2 chicken breasts.  These were well-charred, yet remained tender.  Lots of smokiness that was tempered by the sweet mango.  With the addition of fresh pico de gallo and avocado, this had a tropical Mexican flavour.

My daughter predictably ordered a fish dish in the Lemon Basil Salmon.  Gently-seared, the salmon was perfectly flaky and moist.  The lemon basil sauce was buttery and rich where the squeeze from the charred half-lemon provided balance.  It sat atop barely-cooked through asparagus and ancient grains.  The grains were chewy and nutty while benefiting from the butter sauce and the lemon juice.  Really brought it alive with flavour and acidity.

For myself, I had the Loaded Cheeseburger with aged white cheddar, 2 strips of bacon, sautéed mushrooms, LTOP, burger sauce and BBQ sauce.  Yes, this was a lot of stuff and the soft potato roll held it altogether conforming to whatever was left after each bite.  I found the burger patty to be fairly large, meaty and moist with a good char.  Bacon was super crispy while the mushrooms were well-seasoned.  Combined with fresh produce and some nuttiness from the cheddar, this was a pretty solid burger.  Fries on the side were crispy and well-salted.

My son had the most expensive item (as opposed to what my daughter usually does) with the 10oz CAB New York Steak with buttered mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. As seen in the second picture, this was prepared medium-rare as requested.  Possibly a more aggressive char on the steak would've made it perfect, but ultimately, the meat was high-quality and super tender.  It was well-seasoned and properly rested with no juices leaking onto the plate.  Creamy and buttery, those mashed potatoes were quite good.  This also came with some demi-glace which was silky and full of meatiness.  Great with the steak and the potatoes.

For dessert, we shared the Key Lime Pie with fresh whipped cream topped with graham crumb and lime zest.  I believe there was both pecans and coconut in the firm and sweet buttery crust.  As for the key lime filling, it was smooth, tangy and sweet.  It was a good thing that they did not sweeten the rich and thick whipped cream since the dessert would've been too sweet.  This way, it as balanced and ate really well.  Loved the aromatic and slightly bitter lime zest.  After we were finished I had to think hard to compare my last visit to Moxie's with this current one.  I have to say this was better since the new menu items were prepared properly and were tasty.  Sure, Moxie's is a chain restaurant, but I am not a food snob.  I judge food independently regardless of where I ate it and who made it.   Bottom line is that we enjoyed our meal.

*Partial comp on the meal for this post*

The Good:
- Properly prepared proteins and vegetables
- Well-seasoned
- Nice location, close to many venues

The Bad:
- Restaurant is a bit hidden